Last week, Commission member Ricardo Cardoso tweeted that the organization is “working to make sure you can play Call of Duty on other consoles (including my PlayStation).” On the one hand, the comment simply describes the situation as Microsoft has it – that Activision’s blockbuster shooter franchise will remain on Sony’s platforms “as long as there’s a PlayStation out there to ship.” On the other hand, fans expressed surprise that a member of the Commission’s staff was discussing the matter publicly and expressing a view that seemed to be mostly concerned with their own choice of console. Eurogamer Newscast: Should You Look At The Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Leaks? The Commission itself has now taken the stand and released a brief statement noting that Cardoso is not directly involved in the agency’s investigation into Activision Blizzard. “Mr Cardoso works for the Director General for the Internal Market and not for the Directorate General for Competition,” the Commission told TweakTown. “Mr. Cardoso was not involved in evaluating this transaction. Furthermore, as his Twitter profile clearly states, he is tweeting in a personal capacity.” Cardoso himself has also now issued a statement via Twitter to further address the issue. “To clarify,” Cardoso wrote, “I’m not involved in the merger review and I don’t even work in the mergers department. “As is clear from my profile my comments are personal and not the position of the Commission, whose decision will be made based on the facts and the law.” To clarify: I’m not involved in the merger review and I don’t even work in the merger department. As is clear from my profile, my comments are personal and not the position of the Commission, whose decision will be made based on the facts and the law. — Ricardo Cardoso (@RCardosoEU) November 12, 2022 To view this content, please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings The European Commission announced its new, more “in-depth” investigation into the Microsoft-Activision deal last week, after completing a more preliminary examination. Likewise, the UK Competition and Markets Authority is now scrutinizing the deal, with a particular focus on the potential impact on Sony that Microsoft owns Call of Duty and included it in Xbox Game Pass. Both agencies are expected to report their findings in the spring. Acknowledging the European Commission’s extensive investigation in an open letter shared on Activision Blizzard’s investor website, CEO Bobby Kotick wrote: “We are working closely with Microsoft to actively engage regulators in other key countries to answer their questions and to provide them with information to help People from all of our business units and functions have been involved in this regulatory work, and I want to thank each of you for your tireless work and commitment to complete this merger, which we continue to expect to close Microsoft’s current fiscal year through June 2023.” To view this content, please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings
